14 Stylish San Diego Houseplants

With a moderate year-round climate, San Diego is ideal for plants, indoors and out.

San Diego’s temperate climate offers a unique advantage for plant lovers, allowing many houseplants to thrive indoors and outdoors. Whether enhancing your indoor living space or beautifying your outdoor seating areas, houseplants are versatile additions that can add style, purify the air, and create a relaxing atmosphere. Many popular plants can live happily outside on patios in San Diego’s mild weather, making them even more desirable.

 

In this post, we profile 14 Stylish San Diego Houseplants, highlighting how these plants fit into indoor or outdoor spaces in San Diego. This blog includes profiles of many of the plants for sale in our Gemstone Potted Plant Collection, which features locally sourced plants in contemporary Momma Pot Gemstone Cylinders. Available in ten colors, these stylish pots are perfect for any home, office, or garden patio.

 

At Green, we offer a large selection of indoor plants for sale in our Hillcrest flower and plant shop. Due to our fabulous weather, many of the plants we sell can live outside, too. We carry a large variety of rare and popular San Diego plants but availability for some are seasonal. Our online store includes a large, curated selection of plants so you can shop online. If you purchase a plant in a nursery container, and pick a pot at the same time, our plant specialists will gladly plant your new pot for you at no charge. And don't forget, our professional drivers will happily deliver your new plants to your door. 

1. Dracaena

• Where to Place: Indoors, it’s ideal for bright corners in living rooms or bedrooms. Outdoors, it thrives in shaded patios or covered outdoor seating areas.

• Unique Feature: Dracaena is known for its air-purifying properties, making it a great plant for improving indoor air quality.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water when the top inch of soil is dry, ensuring good drainage.
• Light: Prefers bright, indirect light but tolerates lower light.
• Temperature: Thrives in 60-75°F, perfect for indoor and outdoor San Diego conditions.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize every two months during the growing season.

2. Fiddle Leaf Ficus

The Fiddle Leaf Fig ( (Ficus lyrata) is famous for its broad, violin-shaped leaves. It’s a popular choice in interior design, often acting as a striking focal point in any room. In San Diego, it thrives indoors and in semi-shaded outdoor areas.

Where to Place: Indoors, place it near a large window where it receives bright, indirect light. Outdoors, it works well in a partially shaded patio or balcony.

• Unique Feature: Its height and bold leaves make it a natural centerpiece in any space.

Care Tips:

• Water: Regularly in spring/summer, let the soil dry out between waterings.
• Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight.
• Temperature: Does well in 50-70°F, making it perfect for San Diego’s mild climate.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize monthly in the growing season.

3. Bird of Paradise

The Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) is a dramatic plant with large, banana-like leaves. While it doesn’t flower indoors, its impressive foliage can instantly give any room or patio a tropical feel. It’s a common sight in San Diego landscapes and works beautifully indoors and out. This plant grows tall and wide so be sure to have space to accommodate the growth of this beauty.

• Where to Place: This plant thrives outdoors in sunny patios or seating areas and indoors in large, bright rooms near windows.
• Unique Feature: Its size and bold, tropical leaves make it an eye-catching focal point, especially in outdoor garden settings.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water regularly, more frequently in summer. Ensure soil drains well.
• Light: Prefers full sun outdoors or bright, indirect light indoors.
• Temperature: Thrives in 70°F+, making it a great choice for San Diego’s warm weather.
• Maintenance: Average. Fertilize every three months in spring/summer.

4. Bromeliad

The Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) is a striking tropical plant known for its vibrant, long-lasting blooms and unique rosette-shaped foliage. Native to the tropical Americas, Bromeliads are highly adaptable, making them ideal for both indoor spaces and San Diego’s outdoor patios. Their bright colors and exotic appearance add a pop of color and interest to any room or garden setting.

• Where to Place: Indoors, Bromeliads thrive in bright, indirect light, making them an excellent option for living rooms, kitchens, or bathrooms. Outdoors in San Diego do exceptionally well in shaded patios or garden nooks, where they can enjoy filtered sunlight without being scorched by direct rays.
• Unique Feature: Bromeliads are one of the few plants that can thrive in various environments, from soil to growing epiphytically on trees, absorbing nutrients from the air. They’re also known for their stunning, long-lasting blooms, which can persist for several months. The plant is slow-growing, and once it flowers, the mother plant will produce offsets or “pups” that can be propagated for new plants, continuing the cycle. 

Care Tips:

• Water: Bromeliads are epiphytes that absorb water through their leaves. Water should be poured directly into the central cup or “tank” formed by the leaves. Keep this reservoir filled but flush it out regularly to prevent stagnation. Water the soil lightly, allowing it to dry out between waterings.
• Light: Prefers bright, indirect light. While they can tolerate lower light levels, too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves.
• Temperature: Bromeliads prefer warm temperatures, ideally between 65-80°F, which makes them perfect for San Diego’s climate.
• Humidity: Bromeliads thrive in higher humidity levels, so misting them regularly, especially indoors, is beneficial.
• Maintenance: Low to moderate. Bromeliads are low-maintenance plants but will benefit from monthly feeding with a diluted, balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season. After the plant flowers, it will eventually die, but not before producing “pups” (new plant offshoots) that can be replanted.

5. ZZ Plant

The ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is a hardy, low-maintenance plant known for its thick, glossy leaves. It’s perfect for low-light spaces indoors. It can also live outdoors in shaded patios in San Diego. This indestructible plant is a workhorse that can add style to areas with limited light. 

• Where to Place: Indoors, it’s great for low-light areas like hallways or offices. Outdoors, it works well in shaded patio spaces where it won’t get direct sun.
• Unique Feature: The ZZ Plant is nearly indestructible, thriving in low-light environments and with infrequent watering.

Care Tips: 

• Water: Water only when the soil is dry.
• Light: Tolerates low light but thrives in indirect light.
• Temperature: Prefers 60-70°F, perfect for both indoor and outdoor San Diego settings.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize every four months.

6. Brasil Philodendron

The Brasil Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum ‘Brasil’) is a trailing plant with heart-shaped leaves that feature striking lime green and dark green variegation. Its cascading vines make it ideal for indoor spaces or hanging from outdoor planters in San Diego’s mild climate.

• Where to Place: Indoors, hang it in living rooms or bedrooms. Outdoors, it does well in shaded patios where its vines can trail elegantly.

• Unique Feature: Its fast-growing vines and vibrant foliage make it a perfect choice for brightening both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water when the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry. Avoid overwatering.
• Light: Thrives in bright, indirect light but tolerates low light.
• Temperature: Prefers 65-80°F, ideal for San Diego’s mild climate.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize monthly during the growing season.

7. Rattlesnake Calathea

The Rattlesnake Calathea (Calathea lancifolia) is known for its unique wavy leaves with dark green spots and purple undersides. It thrives in high humidity, perfect for indoor settings or shaded outdoor spots in San Diego. 

• Where to Place: Indoors, it’s ideal for bathrooms or kitchens with higher humidity. Outdoors, it thrives in shaded patio areas. 
• Unique Feature: The colorful purple undersides of its leaves and wavy pattern make it a striking addition to any plant collection.

Care Tips:

• Water: Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Mist regularly.
• Light: Prefers low to moderate indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight.
• Temperature: Thrives in 65-75°F, perfect for indoor and shaded outdoor San Diego environments.
• Maintenance: Moderate. Fertilize monthly during the growing season.

8. Sansevieria (Snake Plant)

 

• Where to Place: It’s perfect for bedrooms, living rooms, or offices indoors, and it thrives in shaded patios outdoors.
• Unique Feature: It’s one of the best plants for air purification, releasing oxygen at night and improving indoor air quality.

 Care Tips:

• Water: Water sparingly, allowing soil to dry between waterings.
• Light: Thrives in indirect light but tolerates low light.
• Temperature: Prefers 60-70°F, making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor living in San Diego.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize once in spring/summer.

9. Aloe Vera

The Aloe Vera plant is a beautiful succulent with thick, spiky leaves. It’s a functional plant known for its healing properties, particularly for soothing burns. In San Diego, it thrives both indoors and outdoors. Our 9" crystal succulent gardens use aloe vera as the anchor plant. 

• Where to Place: Indoors, place it in kitchens or bathrooms. Outdoors, it works well on sunny patios where it can soak up plenty of indirect light. 

• Unique Feature: Aloe’s healing gel is perfect for minor skin irritations and sunburn relief, making it a useful plant to have around.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water only when the soil is dry, about once every 2-3 weeks.
• Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight but tolerates artificial light.
• Temperature: Prefers 55-80°F, making it perfect for San Diego’s sunny patios.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize sparingly.

10. Pothos

The Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is one of the easiest houseplants to care for, making it an excellent choice for beginners. In San Diego, it thrives indoors and outdoors, offering flexibility in placement. We profile the Pothos in this blog which offers care tips as well.

•  Where to Place: It’s perfect for hanging in kitchens, bathrooms, or offices indoors. Place outdoors in shaded areas where it can trail beautifully from planters.
• Unique Feature: Its heart-shaped leaves and trailing vines make it a visually interesting plant that works in nearly any environment.

 Care Tips:

• Water: Water when the top inch of soil is dry.
• Light: Thrives in low to moderate light and does well in shaded outdoor areas.
• Temperature: Prefers 55-75°F, ideal for both indoor and outdoor settings.
• Maintenance: Low. Requires minimal fertilization.

11. Monstera Deliciosa

The Monstera Deliciosa is a bold, tropical plant known for its large, split leaves. Its size and appearance make it an excellent choice for indoor living rooms or outdoor patios in San Diego. Be sure to read our detailed blog on Monstera.

• Where to Place: Indoors, place it near windows in living rooms or offices. Outdoors, it does well in shaded patios where it can grow large. 
• Unique Feature: Its iconic split leaves, often referred to as “Swiss cheese,” make it a popular choice in interior design.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water regularly, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Mist the leaves to increase humidity.
• Light: Prefers bright, indirect light.
• Temperature: Thrives in 65-75°F, making it a perfect addition to San Diego’s outdoor patios.
• Maintenance: Moderate. Fertilize monthly during spring and summer.

12. Anthurium

The Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum), also known as the Flamingo Flower or Laceleaf, is an eye-catching plant with heart-shaped leaves and brightly colored blooms in red, pink, or white. Its waxy, glossy flowers make it a showstopper, and it’s perfect for indoor or outdoor spaces in San Diego, where it can benefit from the mild, humid climate. One of our most popular plants at Green.

• Where to Place: Indoors, the Anthurium thrives in bright, indirect light, making it ideal for living rooms, dining rooms, or kitchens. Outdoors, it does well in shaded patios or garden spaces, as it prefers shelter from direct sunlight. 
• Unique Feature: The Anthurium’s long-lasting blooms, which can last up to two months, make it a fantastic choice for adding bold color and tropical beauty to your space. Another unique feature is its natural air-cleaning properties, which help reduce airborne toxins, making it both a decorative and functional plant.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water thoroughly, but allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. The Anthurium prefers slightly moist soil but is susceptible to root rot if overwatered.
• Light: It prefers bright, indirect light. Too much direct sunlight can cause the leaves to yellow or burn, so it’s best placed indoors near east—or north-facing windows.
• Temperature: Ideal temperatures range from 65-80°F. Anthuriums love warm, humid environments, so bathrooms or kitchens are good indoor locations.
• Maintenance: Moderate. Fertilize every 6-8 weeks during the growing season and clean the leaves regularly to keep them dust-free. Misting the plant occasionally will help maintain the humidity it loves.

13. Phalaenopsis (Moth) Orchid

The Phalaenopsis Orchid, or Moth Orchid, is known for its vibrant, long-lasting blooms. It’s perfect for bright indoor spaces in San Diego, and with the proper care, it will bloom year after year. We do a deep dive on Orchid care in this blog. 

• Where to Place: Indoors, place it in kitchens, living rooms, or bathrooms with bright, indirect light. Outdoors, it thrives in shaded patio areas.
• Unique Feature: Its long-lasting blooms make it a great choice for adding color to any indoor or outdoor space.

Care Tips:

• Water: Water 2-3 times per week using ice cubes or room-temperature water.
• Light: Prefers bright, indirect light.
• Temperature: Prefers 65-85°F, ideal for both indoor and outdoor environments.
• Maintenance: Low. Fertilize twice a month during spring/summer.

14. Peace Lily

The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) is an elegant, low-maintenance plant celebrated for its glossy, deep green leaves and graceful white blooms. It’s a top choice for improving indoor air quality, filtering out common toxins like benzene, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde. This plant thrives indoors and can handle lower light conditions, making it a perfect fit for San Diego homes where it can easily adapt to indoor settings. 

• Where to Place: Indoors, place the Peace Lily in living rooms, offices, or bedrooms where there is low to medium indirect light. It also works well in bathrooms, benefiting from the natural humidity. Outdoors, it can thrive on shaded patios or balconies.

• Unique Feature: The Peace Lily’s ability to bloom year-round makes it special. Its beautiful white blooms resemble calla lilies, adding a touch of elegance and tranquility to any space. Additionally, its air-purifying properties make it ideal for improving indoor environments.

Care Tips:

• Water: Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Water about once a week, and mist the leaves regularly to maintain humidity. If the leaves start drooping, it’s a sign the plant is thirsty.
• Light: Peace Lilies prefer low to medium indirect light. Direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, so avoid placing it in bright spots.
• Temperature: Thrives between 65-80°F, which is perfect for San Diego’s mild climate. Keep it away from drafts or air conditioning vents.
• Maintenance: Low. Wipe the leaves occasionally to remove dust, and fertilize every 6-8 weeks during the growing season (spring and summer).

Looking for a particular plant? Let us help.

We pride ourselves in providing outstanding customer service and we employ staff that are indoor plant specialists. If you can't find what your looking for online, reach out to our Hillcrest flower and plant shop at info@greenfreshflorals.com. We are more than happy to add it to our list of plants to find for our next visit to local nurseries. 

 

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